2.6.2

Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

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The Winter of Discontent

The Winter of Discontent was the winter at the end of 1978 and the start of 1979. James Callaghan was the Labour Prime Minister at the time.

Trade Unions striking

Trade Unions striking

Trade Unions kept going on strike, demanding and often receiving wage rises of 10-30%.

Labour actions

Labour actions

The Labour Party put a 5% limit on wage increases. Businesses paying more than a 5% increase would face fines or penalties.

Ford

Ford

After a strike of several months, Ford workers accepted a wage rise of 17% in November 1978.

Lorry drivers

Lorry drivers

Lorry drivers then went on strike in December, asking for wage rises of up to 40%. Petrol wasn't delivered to petrol stations anymore, so all petrol stations closed.

22nd January 1979

22nd January 1979

On the 22nd January 1979, one of the largest days of striking happened, with lots of people in the public sector demanding 25% wages rises.

Gravediggers

Gravediggers

Gravediggers then went on strike for a fortnight, leaving bodies unburied in major cities. They went off strike for a 14% pay rise.

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

In a modern context, Thatcher is disliked by many people. She banned some strikes and encouraged individual self-sufficiency. The context of 1979 makes some of her policies more comprehensible.
Thatcher's Conservative party won the 1979 election.

1

Business Organisation & Environment

1.1

Introduction to Business Management

1.1.1Why Businesses Exist & Sectors

1.2

Types of Organisation

1.2.1Sole Traders 1.2.2Limited Liability 1.2.3Non-Profit 1.2.4Franchising 1.2.5End of Topic Test - Franchising

1.3

Organisational Objectives

1.3.1External Environments 1.3.2Business Mission & Corporate Objective 1.3.3Mission, Corporate Objectives & Strategy 1.3.4SWOT Analysis 1.3.5End of Topic Test - SWOT Analysis

1.4

Stakeholders

1.4.1Stakeholders

1.5

External Environment

1.5.1Social & Technological Environment 1.5.2Lifestyle & Technological Environment 1.5.3Corporate Social Responsibility 1.5.4Economic Environment 1.5.5Political & Legal Change

1.6

Growth & Evolution

1.6.1Growth & Retrenchment 1.6.2Challenges of Growth 1.6.3Growth Models 1.6.4End of Topic Test - Diseconomies of Scale 1.6.5Internationalisation 1.6.6Sourcing Resources & Entering Markets 1.6.7End of Topic Test - Internationalisation 1.6.8Managing Internationalisation 1.6.9Impact of Internationalisation

1.7

HL Only: Organisational Planning Tools

1.7.1Organisational Planning Tools

2

Human Resource Management

2.1

Functions & Evolution of Human Resource Management

2.1.1Setting Human Resource Objectives 2.1.2Human Resource Management 2.1.3Labour Turnover & Retention 2.1.4Labour Productivity

2.2

Organisational Structure

2.2.1Organisational Structures

2.3

Leadership & Management

2.3.1Managers 2.3.2Management Theories 2.3.3End of Topic Test - Management

2.4

Motivation

2.4.1Motivating & Engaging Employees 2.4.2Taylor's Theory 2.4.3Maslow's Theory 2.4.4Herzberg's Theory 2.4.5Different Incentives 2.4.6Evaluating Incentives

2.5

Organisational (Corporate) Culture

2.5.1Managing Organisational Culture 2.5.2Organisational Structures

2.6

HL Only: Industrial/Employee Relations

2.6.1Improving Employer-Employee Relations 2.6.2Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

3

Finance & Accounts

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal Sources of Finance 3.1.2External Sources of Finance 3.1.3Factors for Financing 3.1.4End of Topic Test - Debt

3.2

Costs & Revenues

3.2.1Costs & Revenues

3.3

Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Profit 3.3.2Break-Even Analysis

3.4

Profitability & Liquidity Ratio Analysis

3.4.1Profitability Analysis

3.5

Cash Flow

3.5.1Cash Flow 3.5.2Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.5.3Improving Cash Flow & Profits

3.6

HL Only: Investment Appraisal

3.6.1Investment Appraisal

3.7

HL Only: Budgets

3.7.1Cash-Flow & Budgets

4

Marketing

4.1

The Role of Marketing

4.1.1Setting Marketing Objectives 4.1.2Market Calculations

4.2

Marketing Planning

4.2.1Marketing Mix 4.2.2Segmentation 4.2.3Niche & Mass Markets

4.3

Market Research

4.3.1Market Research 4.3.2Market Mapping 4.3.3Methods of Market Research

4.4

The 4 Ps

4.4.1Product Decisions 4.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming 4.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration 4.4.4End of Topic Test - Pricing & Competition 4.4.5Promotional Decisions 4.4.6Promotional Decisions 2 4.4.7Promotional Decisions 3 4.4.8Digital Marketing 4.4.9Evaluating Digital Marketing 4.4.10Case Study - The Marketing Mix & Promotion 4.4.11Place & Distribution

4.5

HL Only: The Extended Marketing Mix

4.5.1The Extended Marketing Mix

4.6

HL Only: International Marketing

4.6.1International Marketing

4.7

E-Commerce

4.7.1E-Commerce

5

Operations Management

5.1

The Role of Operations Management

5.1.1Setting Operational Objectives

5.2

Production Methods

5.2.1Production Processes Overview 5.2.2Production Processes 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production

5.3

HL Only: Lean Prodution & Quality Management

5.3.1Importance of Quality 5.3.2Measuring & Identifying Quality 5.3.3Total Quality Management 5.3.4Evaluating Total Quality Management 5.3.5Case Study - Toyota Production System

5.4

HL Only: Production Planning

5.4.1Capacity 5.4.2Productivity & Efficiency 5.4.3Technology & Efficiency 5.4.4Improving the Supply Chain 5.4.5Inventory 5.4.6Outsourcing

5.5

HL Only: Research & Development

5.5.1Organisational Planning Tools

Jump to other topics

1

Business Organisation & Environment

1.1

Introduction to Business Management

1.1.1Why Businesses Exist & Sectors

1.2

Types of Organisation

1.2.1Sole Traders 1.2.2Limited Liability 1.2.3Non-Profit 1.2.4Franchising 1.2.5End of Topic Test - Franchising

1.3

Organisational Objectives

1.3.1External Environments 1.3.2Business Mission & Corporate Objective 1.3.3Mission, Corporate Objectives & Strategy 1.3.4SWOT Analysis 1.3.5End of Topic Test - SWOT Analysis

1.4

Stakeholders

1.4.1Stakeholders

1.5

External Environment

1.5.1Social & Technological Environment 1.5.2Lifestyle & Technological Environment 1.5.3Corporate Social Responsibility 1.5.4Economic Environment 1.5.5Political & Legal Change

1.6

Growth & Evolution

1.6.1Growth & Retrenchment 1.6.2Challenges of Growth 1.6.3Growth Models 1.6.4End of Topic Test - Diseconomies of Scale 1.6.5Internationalisation 1.6.6Sourcing Resources & Entering Markets 1.6.7End of Topic Test - Internationalisation 1.6.8Managing Internationalisation 1.6.9Impact of Internationalisation

1.7

HL Only: Organisational Planning Tools

1.7.1Organisational Planning Tools

2

Human Resource Management

2.1

Functions & Evolution of Human Resource Management

2.1.1Setting Human Resource Objectives 2.1.2Human Resource Management 2.1.3Labour Turnover & Retention 2.1.4Labour Productivity

2.2

Organisational Structure

2.2.1Organisational Structures

2.3

Leadership & Management

2.3.1Managers 2.3.2Management Theories 2.3.3End of Topic Test - Management

2.4

Motivation

2.4.1Motivating & Engaging Employees 2.4.2Taylor's Theory 2.4.3Maslow's Theory 2.4.4Herzberg's Theory 2.4.5Different Incentives 2.4.6Evaluating Incentives

2.5

Organisational (Corporate) Culture

2.5.1Managing Organisational Culture 2.5.2Organisational Structures

2.6

HL Only: Industrial/Employee Relations

2.6.1Improving Employer-Employee Relations 2.6.2Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

3

Finance & Accounts

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal Sources of Finance 3.1.2External Sources of Finance 3.1.3Factors for Financing 3.1.4End of Topic Test - Debt

3.2

Costs & Revenues

3.2.1Costs & Revenues

3.3

Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Profit 3.3.2Break-Even Analysis

3.4

Profitability & Liquidity Ratio Analysis

3.4.1Profitability Analysis

3.5

Cash Flow

3.5.1Cash Flow 3.5.2Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.5.3Improving Cash Flow & Profits

3.6

HL Only: Investment Appraisal

3.6.1Investment Appraisal

3.7

HL Only: Budgets

3.7.1Cash-Flow & Budgets

4

Marketing

4.1

The Role of Marketing

4.1.1Setting Marketing Objectives 4.1.2Market Calculations

4.2

Marketing Planning

4.2.1Marketing Mix 4.2.2Segmentation 4.2.3Niche & Mass Markets

4.3

Market Research

4.3.1Market Research 4.3.2Market Mapping 4.3.3Methods of Market Research

4.4

The 4 Ps

4.4.1Product Decisions 4.4.2Pricing Decisions & Price Skimming 4.4.3Pricing Decisions & Price Penetration 4.4.4End of Topic Test - Pricing & Competition 4.4.5Promotional Decisions 4.4.6Promotional Decisions 2 4.4.7Promotional Decisions 3 4.4.8Digital Marketing 4.4.9Evaluating Digital Marketing 4.4.10Case Study - The Marketing Mix & Promotion 4.4.11Place & Distribution

4.5

HL Only: The Extended Marketing Mix

4.5.1The Extended Marketing Mix

4.6

HL Only: International Marketing

4.6.1International Marketing

4.7

E-Commerce

4.7.1E-Commerce

5

Operations Management

5.1

The Role of Operations Management

5.1.1Setting Operational Objectives

5.2

Production Methods

5.2.1Production Processes Overview 5.2.2Production Processes 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production

5.3

HL Only: Lean Prodution & Quality Management

5.3.1Importance of Quality 5.3.2Measuring & Identifying Quality 5.3.3Total Quality Management 5.3.4Evaluating Total Quality Management 5.3.5Case Study - Toyota Production System

5.4

HL Only: Production Planning

5.4.1Capacity 5.4.2Productivity & Efficiency 5.4.3Technology & Efficiency 5.4.4Improving the Supply Chain 5.4.5Inventory 5.4.6Outsourcing

5.5

HL Only: Research & Development

5.5.1Organisational Planning Tools

Practice questions on Case Study - The Winter of Discontent

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1
Which day saw the largest strike of the Winter of Discontent, shutting down large parts of many hospitals?Multiple choice
2
Who won the 1979 General Election?Multiple choice

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Improving Employer-Employee Relations

Internal Sources of Finance